French climber dazzles Havana

On Tuesday, it was an elementary school in colonial Old Havana that made up in difficulty what it lacked in height.

The 50-year-old Robert took 15 minutes to ascend the three stories of the graceful stone building, which offered little in the way of hand- and foot-holds. Tourists and schoolchildren gasped and shouted words of encouragement.

Several youngsters then tried to imitate the French daredevil, but were unable to climb more than a few feet before losing their grip.

Robert has scaled the planet's loftiest skyscrapers from the Empire State Building to Dubai's Burj Khalifa, the world's tallest. - Sapa-AP